Sociopharmacology of d-amphetamine in Macaca arctoides

This study was designed to assess the effects of acute d-amphetamine pretreatment on the social behavior of a heterosexual group of adult M. arctoides. The dominance status had been previously determined by use of daily group food competition tests. Prior to some sessions amphetamine was administered to a single group member; whereas on other occasions all subjects were drug treated. The effects of both the individual and concurrent pretreatments were compared to those produced by saline. Furthermore, the effects of individual treatment were compared to those following concurrent dosing. The behavior of the group was monitored for one hour after a fifteen minute pretreatment time. Although generally qualitatively similar, the effects of concurrent and individual treatment were in many instances quantitatively different. d-Amphetamine increased vocalization, self-grooming, playing (low doses), social grooming (low doses), and aggression (low doses). At higher doses most forms of social interaction (playing, social grooming) were greatly decreased. Presenting behavior was increased by all doses under both treatment conditions. Mounting was increased to a much lesser extent and only after concurrent dosing. The increased presenting and mounting may be a result of sexual stimulation or perhaps more likely, an indication of increased submissive behavior directed toward more dominant animals.